Cleveland Clinic and Zipline have taken to the skies with their drone-delivery partnership for prescription drugs.
It marks the first long-term deployment of a prescription drug drone delivery by a health system, they said, with the first deliveries made last week in and around Beachwood.
Currently, the service is focused in and around Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood Administrative Campus, with a five-mile radius and the campus as home base. Future plans include expansion of locations and services including delivery of other medications, lab samples, medically tailored meals and supplies.
Eligibility for this service includes patients who currently utilize the home delivery program for other medications, and there is no extra cost for the service. Controlled substances are not currently eligible for the service.
Zipline’s autonomous drone technology does not require landing in patients’ yards. Once a prescription is ready, a technician will place the package into a secure drop box. The drone autonomously retrieves the order, flies to the destination and stays up to 300 feet in the air as a pod containing the package descends to the ground on a tether.
After the order has been delivered, the drone returns to its charging station. Tracking is available for patients through their patient portal.
“This program between Cleveland Clinic and Zipline makes it easier for patients to access the medicine they need. That’s one less errand to run, and more time back in people’s days," Zipline President of U.S. Healthcare Hillary Brendzel said in a release. "This launch is the latest milestone in Cleveland Clinic’s long history of using innovation to create a better patient experience.”